


of starry night skies and starry-eyed lovers

by slytherinaleister (irlbigfoot)



Series: Endless Summer Ficlets [1]
Category: Endless Summer, PlayChoices
Genre: Awkward Romance, Drabble, F/M, Height Differences, Spoilers for Chapter 13, Stargazing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-11
Updated: 2017-03-11
Packaged: 2018-10-02 12:04:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,071
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10217615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/irlbigfoot/pseuds/slytherinaleister
Summary: "it's simply a matter of... wanting to be forthright."





	

**Author's Note:**

> woohoo, first fic in the fandom! (i think)  
> i wrote this after i finished crying over chapter thirteen- it's basically my take on what happened before mc and the gang oh-so-rudely burst in on aleister and grace.

_Here it is,_ Aleister thought to himself, Adam’s apple bobbing as he gulped in anticipation. _This is the perfect opportunity._

The tall man was currently hovering awkwardly in the doorway that led to the rooftop garden of La Heurta, from where he could see a familiar figure, cloaked in an orange sweater and bent over a pot of ferns. _Grace._

One thing to know about Aleister is that he never half-arsed anything- much less confessing his love to a certain bespectacled brunette. No, if he was going to do this, he was going to do this _right_. Now, his plan was best boiled down to three simple steps:

  1. Approach her carefully- make sure she is alone.
  2. Engage in polite conversation.
  3. Confess feelings.



And, well- it would have to do.

Steeling himself, Aleister clenched his shaking fists and sharply cleared his throat. “A- _hem_.” With a quiet (and oddly endearing, Aleister thought to himself) yelp, Grace straightened up and whirled around. Her face brightened upon seeing the taller man, pale skin glowing in the moonlight and cerulean blue eyes darting around in uncertainty.

“Aleister! Oh, I was wondering where you had gone off to.” Grace spoke cheerily as she fiddled with the sleeves of her sweater. “Um, would you maybe care to join me?” She gestured around her.

“O-of course,” Aleister coughed nervously. How, even as the two had grown to be considered amiable acquaintances over the last while, he still turned into a blathering idiot whenever the two were alone was beyond him. Slowly, he strode down the wooden path, tripped over his own feet and nearly face-planted on the ground (thankfully when Grace wasn't looking), and joined the girl.

“I love it up here,” confessed Grace as she absentmindedly rubbed the thick, fleshy leaves of a flowering plant between her thumb and pointer finger. “I-” She paused for a moment, then turned to Aleister, stood up on her tiptoes and leaned in close. “I discovered it the second night, and I just thought it was so… magical. I’ve been coming up here ever since to… to star-gaze.” The last sentence was spoken in a conspiratorial whisper, as if she feared the plants might overhear. Aleister was charmed.

“I am assuming you have not informed any of the others?” He cocked an angular brow.

Grace shook her head, heels gently making contact with the wooden path once again. “N-no. Just you. I suppose it’s our little secret, eh?” Her eyes twinkled from behind her glasses.

Aleister felt a foreign sensation tugging at his lips, and quickly forced it down. “Er. Yes. I.” He cleared his throat, before his gaze fell on the volcano looming in the distance, staining the starry night sky with a splotch of angry red. Absentmindedly, he strode over to the balcony, now lost in his thoughts.

He felt Grace’s shorter presence as she joined him. “Do you ever star-gaze?’ He heard her ask hesitantly.

Had it been anyone else who had asked him such a ludicrous question, Aleister would have scoffed right in their face. But this was Grace, and Grace... well, she wasn’t just anyone.

“I used to.” He confessed, unnerved at the honesty with which he spoke. This time it was the blue-eyed man's voice that was hushed, though he was unsure of who he thought might be listening. “As a child. But- I do not anymore.”

“Why not?” Grace cocked her head in curiosity as she leaned forward, resting her arms on the railing.

He shrugged. “Ah, I simply… grew out of it, I suppose.” He twiddled his long, bony fingers anxiously.

“Hmmm.” Grace hummed in sympathy. “Yeah, I understand. I was forced to grow up pretty quickly, too.”

Aleister froze.

Then, she smiled up at him. “How about we just… be kids for a few minutes?”

The pale man didn’t respond, but instead looked up to the sky. Beside him, Grace gazed at the man with a strange softness in her eyes- with an imperceptible sort of feeling that, when looking at Aleister, one would never expect him to be on the receiving (or giving) end of. Then, she shuffled closer to him and looked up.

There was a comfortable silence for a few minutes, occasionally broken by one pointing out a particularly intriguing constellation to the other.

Aleister stealthily glanced over at Grace in the corner of his eye, and his breath caught in his throat. A few ringlets of hair had fallen loose and now framed her face, the cool breeze tugging and twirling them ever-so-gently. Her chestnut-coloured skin seemed to radiate light in the darkness, with all the brightness of the golden lanterns that surrounded them. And her eyes- her round, doe-like eyes- shone with the reflections of the stars above, giving the distinct impression of having galaxies trapped within.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” She said softly, moving her gaze from the star-speckled sky that stretched out dizzyingly before them, and to Aleister.

And, of course, Aleister fumbled. “ _Ah_! Um, er, yes. _Ha_. They are, _erm_ , rather… _impressive._ I suppose.”

Grace giggled, and the sound filled Aleister with a strange, warm sort of confidence. He took in a deep breath, pushing back his shoulders. “Grace, I… I must confess something to you, that has been on my mind for… quite some time, I’ll admit.”

Her eyes widened. “ _O-oh_. What is it?”

“I… well, you see.” Aleister’s throat contracted as he tried to avoid looking at the girl standing beside him. So many words were attempting to get out, and he wasn’t sure which to say. “I, well- when-”

Grace looked at him expectantly.

“ _Wait, no_ ," He muttered, then restarted, only to stutter to a stop once again. He began to panic as he felt that sudden burst of bravado begin to wear off rapidly. “It’s- I- oh dear. I, I- _eurgh_!”

“It’s alright, take your time,” Grace’s said in a coaxing tone.

“ _No, no_!” Aleister snapped at himself, before recoiling in shock- he’d nearly yelled at Grace. “I-I’m sorry.” He looked sheepish. “Oh dear. I just…” He rubbed his abnormally-sweaty forehead, shifting on his feet awkwardly. He took in a deep breath, puffing his cheeks up, then crossed his arms and blew his breath out slowly. “I feel- ahem… or rather… what I’m trying to tell you _is_ …”

“Yes, Aleister?” Grace looked up at him, hopefully.

“It’s simply a matter…” Aleister paused, then continued somewhat smoothly. “Of wanting to be forthright…”

**...**

 


End file.
